Magic Hoarding
by laughing-spirit13
Summary: News from Arendelle, a baby girl was born, with hair so pale it could be white. Gothel knows another child like this, a child with hair that is a different color than it should be. And this child turned out to be magic. So, with that in mind, why should Gothel pass up on this opportunity to have a second, powerful child? What if Gothel kidnapped Elsa, a request for Aggregate Dragon
1. Chapter 1

Gothel opened the letter that was sealed shut with the wax mark of Arendelle. She had been intercepting the royal mail for years, ever since she took back her flower from the thieves of Corona. It was a dangerous necessity, but after the princess became the Lost Princess, the royalty of Corona immediately reached out to their allies in Arendelle for support. For three years the good soldiers of Corona and Arendelle were working together to find the princess, who they only name in the letters as "the Lost Princess". This, at least, was good for Gothel, it seemed the King and Queen did not get the chance to name the baby before Gothel took her and named her Rapunzel.

This letter that Gothel had relieved the carrier of, temporarily of course more suspicion would come if the letter were to never arrive, was no different than the others. The King sends his and the Queen's condolences to the Queen and King of Corona. They are truly sorry for their beloved family in these trying times, and still hold them and the Lost Princess in their prayers. Of course, Corona will have the continuous support of Arendelle.

But then it got less formal, moving more from Royal correspondence to the writing of a brother to a sister. The King of Arendelle spoke of how, truly devastated he was for his baby sister. He also wrote of how his own wife was pregnant, and he hoped that there would be one day where she and the King of Corona could come up to Arendelle and visit, once the baby is born.

_I want my children to know their Aunt and Uncle, and I miss you. _

Gothel lit a stick with the flame of her lantern and gently heated the bottom of the wax seal she was carful not to break. The carrier of the message was knocked unconscious,and she has found that these royal messengers, typically, will not report accidents on the road if it appears the letter wasn't opened. Even though Gothel never really expected any important mail to come anymore, as it has been about three years since she took back her flower.

Gothel took the stairs at the back of the tower up through the floor. Rapunzel would be sleeping, Gothel had to be careful of when she came and left the tower. Eventually Rapunzel herself would be her way in and out, but of course then she couldn't know about the stairs.

She went to bed uneasy, as she had every night for the past three years. She felt if some big news would come, something to discourage the search, then maybe she would find peace.

But this wouldn't come for another 6 months, soon after the winter solstice.

This ease happened quite by accident. Gothel was coming back from the market, it was dark, and she had a very low-lit lantern, so that no one could see her but she could at least see the ground. Maybe that's why the man sprinting through the forest with an equally dim lantern ran into her.

"Pardon, madam, I didn't see you in the dark," he stammered as he lifted himself up before offering her a hand.

"It's alright, young sir, but where are you off to in such a hurry?" Gothel asked, collecting her basket and lantern. The food she had bought that day had scattered in the snow, so she bent back down to gather it all. The young sprinter helped instantly.

"I'm off to the Royal Palace, big news from Arendelle."

"Arendelle?" Gothel asked, shocked and more than a little curious, "what news?"

"Well…" the man paused with a loaf of bread in his hand, and then shook himself out of whatever dream state he fell in, "I guess it's not top secret news. I've been dying to tell someone, as all of Arendelle knows now so it's not real news there anymore. The Royal Majesties have given birth!" the man was smiling wide enough for three people.

"A child? Prince or Princess?" Gothel asked, not with fake interest, but not the same interest that the messenger had.

"A Princess! Princess Elsa, is her name! She has beautiful blonde hair, so pale she could mistaken for an old maid!" he laughed at his little joke of her hair color while depositing some eggs, most of which survived thanks to the snow, into Gothel's basket.

"But madam, I'm sorry, I've gotten so distracted by my message that I didn't ask you what you are doing in the woods at such a late hour. It's not safe for a woman to wander these woods alone," he helped her up once again, and Gothel smiled. He really was a sweet boy.

"Not safe for all women, but trust me, I know my way and I know how to protect myself. One more question before I allow you to run off on your mission; what color hair do the King and Queen of Arendelle have?"

"Why, the Queen has dark brown and the king has light auburn. Why?"

"Just a curiosity of mine, nothing to think about. Go deliver the good news now, I'm sure the King and Queen will be ecstatic to hear of their niece." Gothel waved him off, a motherly smile on her face as she watched him continue to run through the frozen forest. It had started snowing, and it was getting colder, but Gothel didn't notice.

She knew of another girl like this, a girl with hair that made her seem like she wasn't related to those who birthed her. And she turned out to be magic, blessed with healing powers from the sun. Elsa, with hair so pale it could be white, born to two parents with brown and auburn hair…what were the chances that she too was different? Powerful? Rapunzel was born in mid summer, and she had healing powers, warm powers of the sun. Elsa could not have been born long ago, at most a week.

The idea of harsh powers, cold magic, filled Gothel's heart. It would be a powerful magic, one that she could use for defense to protect her and Rapunzel. Arendelle was a few days away by boat, it would take little more than a week to get there and back. She wouldn't linger, it would be a quick kidnapping and back again. But could she leave Rapunzel alone that long?

No, she was only three and a half. This would have to wait for a time when Rapunzel could be independent for at least that long. But time would not wear down Gothel's idea, or her desire. In fact, it would only reassure it.

About a week after the message was received of the newborn princess, most of the Arendelle soldiers were called back to their home. Apparently there were threats surrounding the princess, more guards were needed for her protection. Within a year all the Arendelle soldiers had been recalled. Without the support of their neighbors, the King and Queen told there own soldiers to stop the active search, as there were more important things in the kingdom to attend to.

The recall of the soldiers was all Gothel needed to justify her belief in the magic of the new princess. In her mind it was too much coincidence. A baby girl born, why would they need all soldiers back in Arendelle? To protect one child or to protect a kingdom from her? Gothel guessed the latter. And Gothel would be right.

When Rapunzel was 6, talking and running around the tower, her first drawings of many adorning the walls, Gothel decided it was time to go to Arendelle. The other princess would be 2, nearly 3, and she would have a harder time stealing a child than a toddler. She made Rapunzel a weeks worth of meals and left them in the cabinets, explaining to her which to take at what time. Rapunzel sang for her before Gothel hugged her close and sent her to bed. When Gothel was sure Rapunzel was in her room she snuck through the floor and down the hidden staircase.

Though Gothel would not call herself a witch, she would say that her skills of blending and sneaking were magical. It was easy enough to become a stowaway on a ship heading to Arendelle, and even easier to walk around the city without raising suspicion. The royals here kept their gates open, allowing people to wander in and out of the castle courtyard, and to an extent the inside of the castle itself. Though there were many guards posted, none of them seemed too concerned with Gothel as she wandered the gardens, and when they all became distracted because of a little boy crying to his mother, Gothel didn't hesitate to take the chance to dive into some bushes and wait for night.

The kidnapping itself went much the same way the kidnapping of Rapunzel did. Training for guards like this was pretty basic, once you fooled them once you could fool them again, so long as they didn't figure it out the first time. Toddler Elsa also had her own room, since she was two, which made it easier for Gothel. The Princess was also asleep.

However, she was 2, nearing on 3, and Gothel had to take that into consideration. She didn't worry about Rapunzel having memories of her long lost home. But with Elsa…though unlikely it was still a factor.

Gothel made a choice to deal with it when it came up though, seeing as there was a chance that it wouldn't.

When Gothel touched Elsa, picking her up into a well practiced embrace, she was sure of Elsa's power. She wasn't sure what the power was, how useful it would be, or it's potential to grow, but Gothel knew it was there, and she knew it was strong. No baby could have skin this cold and live.


	2. Chapter 2

When Gothel first came back to the tower with another child, Rapunzel was full of questions. She asked where this baby came from, who she was, why she was here, and so on. Gothel made up a story, one that Rapunzel would be able to tell Elsa when she asked, and one that would hopefully coincide with any memories Elsa would hold on to from her time in Arendelle.

"You see, Flower," Gothel started. She had a boat ride across the sea to think of this story, "I had a sister, up in Arenedelle, which is a far off place. Well, magic runs in our family, which is why you have hair of the sun," Gothel had never actually told Rapunzel the true origins of her hair. She had planned to, one day, but now she was glad she hadn't.

"Like when I sing and it get's all glowy and make you young again!" Rapunzel said.

"Yes dear, but glowy isn't a word," Gothel responded shortly before continuing, "Well, like you, Elsa inherited power of her own. And, like you, the normal people of her village wanted to use that power. At first they were sneaky, trying to kidnap her in the dead of night. Her mother caught on fast though, and asked me to come and help them leave with no one noticing. But I was too late, a riot had formed outside their house. Someone learned that they would be leaving, and the town was trying to take Elsa. There was so much chaos that not even I was able to get inside. But Elsa's father, your uncle, was able to get out with Elsa, and found me. He handed her off to me and told me to get her out of danger and keep her safe, and then ran back into the mob, to look for my sister. Neither of them survived." Gothel ended the note with a single tear rolling down her cheek. Rapunzel was also crying, but for a different reason.

"Like Father, right?" Rapunzel said quietly.

"Yes sweet, Elsa's parents and your father are the same. They were brave people, who loved their children very much. So that's why we need to treat Elsa with love, and be patient and kind with her. I don't even know what type of power she has yet, she has been so calm the whole boat ride, practically slept the whole way," Gothel did not mention that this sleepiness was due to a drug.

"So, she's my sister now?" Rapunzel asked, gathering her long yellow hair into her lap as Elsa started tugging at bits and strands.

"Exactly, Flower. She's your little sister, and you have to take care of her and guide her. And when we do learn what her magic is, we need to help her."

Rapunzel nodded, but still kept her hair well protected in her lap.

Elsa was very quick to show off her power. And to Gothel's absolute delight she was right. This was a child of ice and snow, winter magic. Whenever she cried or fussed a small flurry would form around her. Nothing damaging, though Rapunzel would complain about the cold. She was only six, and maybe a little jealous of the attention that Elsa was taking away.

Though the flurries originally weren't destructive, as Elsa grew they became fiercer, stronger. Rapunzel had started taking cover when four-year-old Elsa threw her tantrums, and the blizzards would drop the temperature of the room by at least 20 degrees. And that was when Gothel had to start her own training of Elsa.

"Elsa, my Snowflake," she gently braided Elsa's hair, which would need a cut soon. Rapunzel was drawing on the walls upstairs, painting their now shared bedroom.

"Yes, Mother?" Elsa said, content and warm. It was these times, when Elsa felt happy and safe, that not even a single icicle would form on the ceiling.

"Your powers are getting stronger. You know this, don't you?" Gothel said, gently but sternly.

"Yes, Mother," Elsa said.

"Elsa, you know you are my Snowflake. And you know Rapunzel is my Flower. What does the snow do to flowers, Elsa?"

Elsa didn't answer for a little while, she was thinking hard. Maybe a four year old who was allowed to view the seasons change outside would have answered quicker, but for someone who only ever saw the year through windows, she had to take a little longer.

"Snow freezes flowers, Mother," Elsa said, sounding too happy for the sentence.

"That's right dear. Snow freezes, and kills, flowers. So, if Rapunzel is my Flower and you are my Snowflake, what does that mean?"

This time Elsa's pause wasn't because she had to think about it, but she had to take a moment to sob. Snow started forming in the air, but it was hardly moving.

"I'm going to kill 'Punnie?" Elsa said, using her preferred nickname for her older sister. Much easier to say.

"No, no," Gothel turn Elsa around on her lap, so that they could look each other in the eyes. She continued to play with her hair, "Snowflake, listen to me. You have the power to really hurt Rapunzel. So you need to control your power. And that means you need to control your emotions. When you get sad, angry, scared, that's when your snow gets out of control."

"I can't control my…" Elsa had never heard the word emotion before. Gothel took some time to explain in more detail what they were. Elsa still didn't understand how she was supposed to control those though.

"Listen, Snowflake, it's going to be hard at first. When you feel like you need to cry, shout, scream, anything like that, you need to stop. You need to breathe, and think about what an outburst could do to your sister. Look, what should you do right now?" Gothel said, brushing some snow off her shoulder. Through the conversation Elsa began to cry more and more. Her snow really accumulates fast.

"I- I can't" she whimpered, the snow starting to fall heavier.

"Elsa, breathe," Gothel took a deep breath through the nose and held it. Elsa followed suit. Together they let the breath out of their mouth. "See? Easy. I'll help you along the way. This is the only way to control your powers."

It was slow going, but Elsa was only four. Whenever she got hurt, emotionally or physically, she would begin to cry and Rapunzel would run upstairs where it was warm and relatively less snowy. Gothel would come over and stare down Elsa until she stopped the tears, then they would breathe together. Eventually the snow would melt away, and eventually Rapunzel would come back down, a little afraid.

Gothel felt that this was Elsa's largest motivation to controlling her emotions. Though after two years Rapunzel had fully accepted Elsa as her little sister and obviously loved her, it has taken her longer to adjust to the violence of her magic. Rapunzel was born with such sweet magic, healing and warmth. Elsa's power scared her. And Elsa knew it. Gothel watched Elsa's tantrums turn to guilt as Rapunzel dashed upstairs.

By age 6 Elsa rarely cried. She rarely frowned, for that matter. If something disturbed her, if she hurt herself, her face would contort as if she were about to break down, but then she would relax and breathe.

Gothel was right to not separate Elsa and Rapunzel, something she considered doing for her Flower's safety. It was a tough decision, but Gothel saw how much Elsa looked up to Rapunzel, how much she loved her. Take a sister away from a four year old, and she would take away her motivation to get better at control. No matter how much Elsa would have tried to control she would have been constantly stressed and scared, it would have never had been accomplished.

But keep them together, and there was an immediate consequence to Elsa's actions. If Rapunzel got hurt because they were playing together and Elsa lost control, she would only have herself to blame.

Plus it was a small tower. True separation would have been unattainable.

But a side effect of holding in all the bad was that she formed a habit of holding in all the good as well. Elsa slowly forgot that her powers were always under control when she was happy or safe, and over time it changed from don't feel the bad to don't feel at all.

Rapunzel was 15 when she first brought the matter to their mother.

"Mother," Rapunzel greeted her quietly as she climbed through the window. At this age Rapunzel's hair was long enough to pull Gothel up, and the years of swinging around the tower had certainly made her strong enough.

"Oh deary, once again you managed to pull me up from the ground and into the tower, you are such a strong girl!" Gothel said, pulling her flower into a hug.

"It's nothing, Mother."

"Then I don't know why you go so slowly," she sang-song, before breaking down into fits laughter, "Oh dear, I'm just teasing you, you know how I love to tease."

Rapunzel couldn't bring herself to even fake laugh this time, "Mother, you know my birthday is in 3 days?" Rapunzel got straight to the point.

"Three days? Where does the time go? And how old will you be turning dear, 9?" Gothel wasn't even looking at Rapunzel anymore, but rather examining herself in the mirror.

"16, Mother, and I know what I want to ask for my birthday," she paused a little and looked up to the bedroom where Elsa was currently reading one of their three books. She was afraid to ask, but she didn't see another choice.

"And what's that dear?" Gothel asked, and noticing Rapunzel's hesitation pulled her close, "Come on Flower, you know you can tell me anything. I love you so much."

"I…" she took a few more seconds to build some courage, "I want you to take me and Elsa to see the…" Rapunzel didn't know what they were called. She had never asked, she was always too afraid because Gothel told both Rapunzel and Elsa to not watch them.

"Spit it out dear," Gothel said, getting rather impatient.

"Strange lights that happen on my birthday," Rapunzel said, trying to find the right words for them, "the…Floating Lights!"

"Those are nothing more than stars dear. I've also told you to not watch them, you are up far to late if you are up to see the stars," Gothel reprimanded, "You need your beauty sleep you know. I guess that explains all the skin blemishes you've been gaining recently," she trailed off, moving around the kitchen to set things up for dinner.

"Skin blemishes?" Rapunzel repeated, touching her face to feel for any inconsistencies.

"You know, acne, pimples. Little red dots filled with pus. You're face is covered with them. It's lucky you aren't in the outside world, people consider those a sign of witchcraft."

Rapunzel felt like she was going to cry.

"Why do you want this, anyway Flower? What's to gain?" Gothel came over to console her daughter, pulling her into a tight embrace and petting her hair down.

"Elsa just seems so unhappy recently. I never hear her laugh anymore Mother, and she rarely smiles. You must have noticed?"

In fact Gothel did notice, and she was pleased with the results. It showed true control over her emotions, and it only ever snowed in the house when it was requested. It was always a weak snow, with ice that would melt within the hour. Apparently, decent ice was to be made through emotions, and with Elsa holding them all back she couldn't make the same storms she conjured as a child. But Gothel was not worried; she knew how bottled emotions worked. At some point, Elsa would pop, and all the fears of harming her sister, her anger at herself, and hatred for the destructiveness of her nature would come out in a blizzard of raw power. Gothel just needed to make sure that the reason she snapped was because Rapunzel and Gothel were in danger. Elsa would do anything to protect them.

Instead of saying all of this, Gothel just frowned a tad and said, "I haven't noticed, no. Are you sure that you aren't just being paranoid, Flower?" Gothel tried to soothe her but Rapunzel pushed her away. Only twice before had Rapunzel ever done that.

"No Mother, I'm not. I think she's afraid of her power for some reason!" Rapunzel actually sounded distressed.

"And what would going outside achieve dear? How would that help Elsa in anyway besides putting you both in danger?" Gothel asked, lowering her voice to sound more foreboding.

"I…I don't know. I think it would be an experience. Maybe we could find a nice empty clearing where Elsa could practice with her powers for a bit, just so the house isn't destroyed and she will get to see that her powers are actually fantastic!" Rapunzel was pulling on Gothel's sleeve now, something Gothel detested, "And the lights would just be a nice thing to see, a happy memory to make! Please Mother."

Gothel didn't say a word until Rapunzel let go of her sleeve. And then she just grunted, thinking. She couldn't very well let them outside. But also… "Alright dear, you seem very concerned for your sister, so I'll take you two to the outside world. If you really think it will help Elsa."

"Oh thank you Mother, I really-"

"But," Gothel interrupted, "She has to be the one to ask for it. I know you are trying to help, Flower, as you always do. But it's very easy to get the wrong idea about what a person needs."

"I'll go talk to Elsa right now Mother, thank you," and Rapunzel was practically sprinting up the stairs.

Gothel had no doubt that Elsa would say she would want to go to the outside world. Though Gothel had spent time and time again speaking of the horror stories out there, she knew very well that at some point it wouldn't be enough. Maybe if it was just Rapunzel she could have done it. But with the two of them together, conspiring, daydreaming, talking- it would be best to let them out now with strict supervision than have them running away in a few years time.

However, Gothel's strict supervision may be a little…corrupt. If she was being kind to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

The morning of Rapunzel's birthday one could practically feel the happiness in the tower. The two girls were sitting on their beds, talking eagerly to each other about the possibilities of the day. Rapunzel, having watched the Floating Lights since she was 3, was most excited to see them up close, and learn why they always came on her birthday. Elsa was looking forward to finding a quiet, secluded area, where she could use her power without the consequences she had been warned about her whole life.

The two were waiting for their Mother to return. She had woken Rapunzel up particularly early so she could get out of the tower, though she didn't explain why. Rapunzel and Elsa had discussed it a little, but their Mother's true intentions were almost always a mystery to the two.

"I bet she is looking for a clearing that you can practice in, so we don't have to spend our day wandering around aimlessly," Rapunzel guessed, and Elsa nodded her head with hope.

Though both were up earlier than normal, they were already changed out of their pajamas and into their summer dresses, which looked remarkably similar, probably because they made them together. The only difference was Rapunzel's dress was pink and purple and Elsa's dress was dark blue and white.

"When do you think Mother will return?" Elsa asked, turning to look at their bedroom door.

"Soon! It's gonna be soon! I know it!" Rapunzel got up and started jumping on her bed, with each jump saying "It. Is. Going. To. Be. So. Soon. And. So. Fun!" on the last word she let herself fall back on her bed, laughing all the way. Elsa, too, was laughing, though quieter and more reserved, but even that was an improvement.

"Oh, Rapunzel, I have something for you, before Mother returns," Elsa said, "Cover your eyes, okay?" Rapunzel immediately complied. Not only was Elsa smiling today, but she was also being spontaneous. These were traits that Rapunzel could never remember her showing when she was small, before her powers became dangerously strong. But Rapunzel knew that happy Elsa was as dangerous as a kitten. That's why she wanted to take this trip, to try and make Elsa realize that she didn't have to bottle her emotions, she just had to remember she was always loved.

"Alright, open you eyes!" Elsa said. Rapunzel uncovered her eyes and opened them to see her 12 year old sister holding something tiny in her hands. Though she was presenting the object to Rapunzel, she could barely make out what it was. Like a tiny, green circle.

"I love it!" Rapunzel cried, still unsure what it was. It didn't matter, it was from Elsa.

"Do you even know what it is?" Elsa asked, seeing right through Rapunzel as always.

"Yeah! It's a green…circle…no I have no idea," Rapunzel admitted, though her smile didn't fade.

"He was suppose to be obvious, but I guess he feel asleep while waiting. Here," Elsa prodded the little green ball until it wiggled. Elsa kept poking the little green circle until it unraveled, revealing that it wasn't a circle at all.

"Oh my goodness! A baby chameleon!" Rapunzel took the green lizard from her sister, the chameleon yawning sleepily.

"I found him on the window sill yesterday, all abandoned. I thought maybe you would like to have him, as a friend. I know sometimes it's hard just living with me, since I can be dangerous and all. He's someone to talk to," Elsa retreated to her bed, looking down at her feet and Rapunzel carefully cradled her new sleepy buddy.

"All we are going to talk about is how fantastic my sister is, in every way. Not even a single winter breeze this morning, right Pascal?"

"Pascal?" Elsa asked, luckily getting distracted from her own fear that Rapunzel would forget all about her now. She felt her power starting to become unbalanced.

"That's his name. I named him just now, and us three are going to be best friends," Rapunzel scratched under his chin, "Isn't that right, little Pascal?"

Elsa smiled, but before she could respond they heard the cry "Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

The two sisters and chameleon were down the stairs and to the window in record time; Gothel didn't even have a chance to quip about how long it was taking.

"I'm a little offended that you seem more excited to see me today than other days," Gothel said when she came to the window, pouting a tad. Rapunzel and Elsa didn't even feel the guilt though; their own joy was too strong for any other emotion.

"Where did you go Mother? To find a clearing? To find a good spot to watch the lights? To make sure the path was clear?" Rapunzel was firing off questions while jumping around, not being able to hold still.

"Calm down, Flower. Snowflake, why is your hair down?" Gothel asked. Elsa grabbed at her medium blonde hair.

"I didn't think I would need it up today," Elsa replied.

"Nonsense dear, you know how it looks better up than down. We are going into the real world, you need to look your best. Now go do your hair and then we will leave," Gothel dismissed Elsa who, with a little less enthusiasm, ran off to her mirror to fix her hair into a neat bun.

"I think she looks good with her hair down, Mother," Rapunzel said when Elsa had left the room.

"You think the best of everyone dear, and that's why the outside world is going to be particularly dangerous for you," Gothel took Rapunzel into a hug, "And happy birthday, my Flower."

Elsa returned with pristine hair, and Gothel had herself lowered out the window first. Next Elsa would go, and she was nervous. There was a personal flurry around her, and Rapunzel could feel the temperature of the room rapidly dropping.

"Elsa, don't worry about it," Rapunzel comforted, help Elsa find the best way to hold on to her hair, "Mother does it all the time, it won't be that hard to just hold on to hair."

Elsa smiled and laughed a little. The snow didn't let up though, and Rapunzel realized that Elsa wasn't nervous about falling, but about leaving this place in general. Rapunzel decided not to mention it, thinking the best cure for this would be to get Elsa on the ground.

Their journey was delayed a bit after Elsa touched the ground, as she had accidentally froze her hands to Rapunzel's hair. Gothel helped chip Elsa free, making sure to not break any strands of hair that unfortunately got froze. Elsa spent the time wiggling her toes in the grass, and calling up to her sister a mixture of apologies and encouragement.

And when Rapunzel stepped forward to take her turn she found herself nervous as well. All the stories Mother had ever told them about the outside world came back to her, and she wondered if maybe it was better to let those two go on ahead.

It was baby Pascal, sitting on her shoulder, who made her realize that she couldn't do that. He was squawking with excitement, holding onto her hair in anticipation of the free fall, having seen the other two drop. He was right; she had to do this.

Rapunzel felt as if the world was moving in slow motion as she flew down from the tower. There was so much air out here, so much sunlight, so much wind. And time didn't speed up when she first touched the grass. She could have never imagined how great grass felt between one's toes!

Elsa and her looked at each other before squealing with joy. Elsa felt happier than she had in years. In the back of her mind, Mother's voice was telling her to remember how dangerous her emotions were. But Elsa had been so tightly wound for so long that she couldn't help but ignore that voice of warning.

"Girls be quiet!" Gothel said as their squeals turned into loud cheers and laughter, "I found an empty clearing this morning, but we must move quickly and quietly. Stay close, and if you see anyone, run as quick as you can. Especially you Flower, Elsa at least looks normal."

The three of them moved silently, taking no time to explore the forest around them, much to Rapunzel and Pascal's disappointment. But Elsa was anxious, and couldn't care less about the forest right now, despite its lush green leaves and tiny streams. What was more important to her was to get to this clearing, and to finally, finally be able to use her power without fear.

They arrived at the clearing very soon, and it was perfect. Hidden through a crack in the cliff, no one would think to look here if they were just passing by. And they were so deep in the woods not many people would be passing by the entrance in the first place.

"Okay Snowflake, you let your powers go now, practice to your heart's content," Gothel kissed Elsa on the forehead. Elsa was positively beaming; the wide smile so rarely seen made her radiant. And Rapunzel couldn't help but be equally happy, for her sister's sake.

"Flower, you stay here with your little sister, watch after each other. I will go find us a clear path to go see your stars. I would rather not be in town," and with a peck on the forehead Gothel was gone back to the woods.

The two girls didn't move for a good ten seconds. And then, together, they ran around the clearing, laughing and screaming, Rapunzel getting teary eyed with joy. They rolled in the grass, climbed the cliffs that blocked the clearing off from the woods, and picked berries, though they decided not to taste test until Gothel could tell them what was safe. And the whole time it didn't snow, didn't even drop a single degree in temperature.

"Come on, Elsa. This clearing is for you! Practice! Show me what you can do!" Rapunzel encouraged. Elsa smiled, with confidence.

"Okay…but," Elsa's smile faltered for just a second, and then she was pushing Rapunzel to the best of her 12 year old ability, "you have to stand over here, okay? Just stay back, I don't want to hurt you."

Rapunzel thought it was a ridiculous requirement, but she agreed. She stood leaning against the cliff closest to the clearing's entrance, Elsa facing away from her.

At first Elsa did nothing but breathe. She was gaining control of her emotions, like Mother had taught her. Though she knew that happiness didn't force her power, she had always felt that it was easier to block out everything rather than try to filter out the good from the bad. It was simpler, safer that way.

"Come on, Elsa!" Rapunzel called. Elsa turned her head and gave her a smile, before taking another breath. She was nervous, because like Rapunzel, she wasn't actually sure of what she was capable of. Elsa could make it snow, create small ice sculptures, and freeze the floor of the tower. But beyond these simple tricks, she hadn't experimented with her power. The tower was too small and the stakes were too high, so she was happy with the occasional snow day that her sister asked for.

And now she didn't know what to do. She could imagine fantastic things, but a combination of fear and lack of talent held her back. So she started small, simply freezing the clearing's floor with a stamp of her barefoot. Rapunzel cheered from the back, shouting more support. And this task, though simple and well mastered, boosted Elsa's confidence like she couldn't believe. She had never frozen and area this large before. It had gone perfectly.

So Elsa released all her magic at once. There was no form, not eloquent organizational standards that Elsa employed in her every day life. Elsa was throwing snowflakes in the air, allowing flurries to burst from her fingertips. She brought up ice from the ground in spikes, froze icicles to the surrounding rock, and danced in her own blizzard. It wasn't delicate or pretty, it was powerful and chaotic.

Rapunzel, for her part, was smiling the whole way. She didn't need to see pretty, delicate ice sculptures; Elsa made those all the time when she thought no one was watching. But never had Elsa gotten a chance to be so free, so in charge. Was Rapunzel afraid? She was shaking violently, and she guessed only half of her shivers could be contributed to the cold. It was terrifying, seeing her sister form giant ice cliffs; bringing them up from the ground in massive spikes. But it was also mesmerizing. Rapunzel was so immersed in her sister's display that she didn't hear the person behind her, and wasn't aware of anyone until the man tapped her shoulder.

Elsa was so lost in her own joy that she forgot about Rapunzel. Until she heard Rapunzel scream.

"Punnie?" Elsa said, turning on her toes. Rapunzel was at the entrance of the clearing, with a man. He was a large man, much large than Rapunzel in both height and width. He had an oval face with a large chin and a large nose, and eyebrows as bushy as his mustache. His clothing was strange, it seemed to be mostly made out of gold metal, from his hat to his chest plate. There was a sun engraved on it.

"You two, what's going on here?" he boomed. It sounded like shouting, angry and threatening, to both the girls. Rapunzel tried backing away, but tripped over her hair and slipped on the icy ground.

"Rapunzel!" Elsa shouted, running towards her sister.

"What's with all this ice?" the large man looked around, eyes wide with fear, "What's going on?" he asked a second time. But Elsa and Rapunzel didn't answer, both of them were thinking of all the horrible things their mother had said about the men of the outside world.

"Girls, you had better come with me. It doesn't seem safe here," he said, not unkindly, but his voice was still too loud for the girl's comfort, "Can you stand?" Rapunzel didn't answer or move. Elsa was crouched next to her, not taking her eyes off the man.

"If you can't stand, I will carry you. We should get to the town," he reached out his arms towards the two girls, and Rapunzel screamed at him to stop. He froze, but took another look around at the ice spikes that stuck up haphazardly from the summer earth.

"It's not safe here!" He insisted, and made a move to scoop Rapunzel up once again.

To Elsa, it all happened in slow motion. She saw the man's large hands going for her sister, and she saw Rapunzel start to move away from him, pushing Elsa along with her. She saw the fear in Rapunzel's eyes, and felt the fear herself as she locked eyes with the large man.

Time sped up as soon as his hand touched Rapunzel's arm, and she shouted, "Get away! Get away from us!"

Elsa tried push away the man, but she did more than that. She shot a flurry of snow at him, hitting him directly in the center of his metal plating. He flung back, flying right into the rocks and then dropping to the ground with a pathetic thump.

Elsa and Rapunzel stared in silence. They stared for 1…2…3…

"Oh Elsa, what have you done?"

Gothel was standing at the entrance, barely speaking above a whisper.

"Mother- Mother I didn't mean to! He was reaching for us- he grabbed Rapunzel-said he was going to take us to town-! Mother I was so scared!" Elsa was tripping over her words, but Gothel wasn't listening. She slid over to the fallen man and took off his helmet, placing two fingers on his neck and her ear at his mouth.

"He isn't dead, but he isn't well," Gothel said, lifting her head to look at her daughters, but most pointedly at Elsa.

"Let me heal him," Rapunzel said immediately. She lifted herself, but before she could make any headway to the fallen man Gothel stopped her.

"No, he already knows about Elsa. He doesn't need to know about you too. He is well enough to recover on his own. But…we can't stay here," Gothel looked at the two seriously, so that they wouldn't question her judgment. And of course they didn't, they knew from what she told them all the time. If someone ever discovered their powers, either one of them, the whole family would be in danger of capture. It wasn't safe for them anymore.

"Flower, do you remember the way back?" Gothel said. Rapunzel nodded, "Take Elsa back to the tower. Behind the tower in the wall there are some rocks that do not look like they belong. Rip them out of the wall and take the staircase to the top. Pack only essentials, we travel light and we leave today. I will follow once I make sure this man is cared for. Now go, quickly!"

Rapunzel didn't hesitate. She grabbed Elsa's hand and moved out of the clearing, running most of the way back with her sister in tow.

Gothel looked back to the fallen man. He was starting to gain consciousness, mumbling to himself a tad about ice magic and two girls. The metal armor of his uniform had taken the blunt of the blow, and it was covered in ice crystals, which were still forming. Gothel had never seen Elsa's power used in a lethal way. She didn't know how someone died when struck with ice and snow. She didn't know if it mattered where one was hit, if Elsa's emotional feelings played a part, or if metal armor would protect someone from any lethal side affects.

Gothel didn't care to find out. She took out her own knife and slit the Captain's throat. Abandoning the bloody knife in the frozen clearing, Gothel ran after her daughters, meeting them at the tower and packing her own essentials. She took some time to braid Rapunzel's hair and pin it up for convenience. Elsa didn't help, as she couldn't stop shaking, and she refused to take her hands out from under her arms.

That night the three boarded a ship, hiding in the cargo hold of a trade boat, and took it to Arendelle. The traders would speak of how strange it was that their cargo was frozen solid; to a point where it took pick axes to remove their goods from the hold.


	4. Chapter 4

Ever since he dropped the name Eugene Fitzherbert , Flynn knew he would do great things. In his eyes they were great at least. He had managed to set a crime rate record in the Kingdom, and that was when the Captain was alive. Ever since the Captain's death two years ago, crime rates only skyrocketed. The Kingdom was trying to get itself back together, but not only was the Captain murdered, his murderer got away and all on the Princess's birthday. The King and Queen took the whole thing as quite a shock.

And that's why even Flynn Rider had some problems with the Stabbington brothers' plan.

"Don't you think it is a little insensitive?" Flynn asked as they sat in a dark corner of a dirty tavern.

"Since when did Rider care about sensitivity?" one of the brothers asked. Flynn shook his head and leaned back in his chair.

"It just doesn't seem classy. Everyone is a bit touchy around this time of year, we should let them mourn in peace."

"That's why it's perfect, Rider," the Stabbington said, "Look, no one is expecting crime around this time of year, what with all the celebrations and mourning going on. So that's why we commit a major crime. It's the only time of the year the crown is so lightly guarded."

In the end Flynn agreed, as both the Stabbingtons and he himself knew he would. When someone steals for a living, they can't just pass up an opportunity like this. The three set the time and date; 6 in the morning the day before the festivities, right outside of town.

The day came and Flynn arrived, like he said he would. The Stabbingtons were there first, eager to begin. The point of arriving so early in the morning was to get on the rooftops before the streets were over crowded. Once above the heads of the commoners, the boys could take their time getting to the palace.

Still, despite their urgency, they walked through the streets slowly and cooly. Flynn kept a smile on his face and put a slight spring in his step, to work the charm on passerbyers. A smile in the morning set people's minds at ease, he found, and most people up at this time were morning people who appreciated other morning people. The Stabbingtons thought Flynn looked ridiculous and was actually drawing more attention to them. But they remained silent, as a fight would drag even more attention to them. It's not like they could cover their disagreement under the babble of the crowds.

It was once they got to the rich part of town that they took out their grappling hooks and readied themselves to scale the buildings. In this part of town people could afford to sleep in, and so long as they aimed for walls with no windows, most people would dismiss some bumps on their roof.

After they successfully got on a roof it was just a maze of jumps and scaling to get from one roof to the other, as the buildings were built so close together.

"These buildings are really a fire hazard, huh?" Flynn mentioned to the brothers as they made there way to their fifth roof.

"What do you mean by that?" Sideburns asked back. They didn't feel comfortable with giving Flynn their real names, saying he was "untrustworthy" and "scum". In actuality, they were embarrassed by their birth names, and agreed to just go by Stabbington Brothers. But Flynn had to call them something, so he fondly referred to them as Sideburns and Eyepatch, respectively.

"Well, they are built so close together. If one buildings goes up in flames, there goes the whole city," Flynn responded as soon as he jumped the gap between the homes. The houses were slowly getting bigger as they neared the castle.

Eyepatch and Sideburns looked at each other, before Sideburns responded, "If we get caught, that'll be plan B."

They reached the palace and pulled out the grappling hooks again, around 7 in the morning. It would take them another hour to scale the palace walls and find the right roof to drop in on. But they would get the crown, and, as the Stabbingtons commeneted as they ran out of town, if Flynn didn't feel the need to get the last word on every single occasion, they would have got away undetected.

And Flynn knew that, that's exactly why he did it. Under the stress of pursuit it would be a lot easier to take the crown and separate himself from the brothers. When the Stabbingtons called him scum, were they right? Flynn would be the first to admit that they probably were. Now all he had to wait for was the right opportunity to take the crown and run.

And it did arrive, in the form of cliffs. The trio couldn't run back because of the guards, and who knew how far they would have to run along the cliff before they came to the end? All three of them knew that they would be caught unless they climbed.

"Alright, okay, give me a boost, and I'll pull you up," Flynn said.

The Stabbingtons looked at each other, before Sideburns said "Give us the satchel first."

Flynn faked gasped, "Huh? I just- I just can't believe that after all we've been through together, you don't trust me?" Flynn made sure to sound really offended. However, the Stabbingtons were known for being pretty heartless, and Sideburns just held out his hand.

"Ouch," he said, but gave them the satchel none the less.

As he climbed up the rocks, using the brothers as a ladder, Flynn made sure to step on both their faces. This was mostly to push their eyes away from where they stored the satchel. But also, Flynn found enormous satisfaction in the act. Then, when they reached up to him and said "Now help us up pretty boy!" Flynn was able to turn with a smile on his face and hold out his prize, "Sorry, my hands are full." And he ran while the angry voice of the Stabbington followed him.

After abandoning the brothers, Flynn had a significantly easier time. He was sure if the Captain were still alive it would not be so, but the new Captain of the Guard had a particular dislike for chases. He would catch the brothers and really think on whether it was worth chasing Flynn or not. Of course, in the end he would. This wasn't some petty robbery he could brush off; this was the Lost Princess's Crown. But he would contemplate it enough that Flynn got some breathing room between him and the Guard, especially those horses. Sometime they seemed even more dedicated to the cause than their owners.

He was able to find his way around a giant cliff when he heard the first neigh of the guards' horses. He thanked his dead mother that they decided to pursue him after he scaled down this cliff, it would have been really painful to have fallen down. And now he also had some time to find a hiding place.

It actually came in a strange way. After hearing the horses get closer and closer, Flynn started to panic, very much not his style. But in this forest there weren't many places to hide that a specialized police horse couldn't find. There was a wall of ivy on a cliff face that Flynn was thinking about climbing. He reached up to grab and ivy vine, but found it there wasn't actually a cliff behind it. Without thinking he pushed past the ivy curtain to find a beautiful clearing and a tall tower.

Of course, Flynn did not want to go in that tower. What if there was someone inside? But he heard the horses neigh, and though rather far away it seemed he didn't have much of choice at the moment. Luckily, he was saved from the climb by a staircase that was at the back of the tower, which was overgrown with flowers and grass. It was surrounded by rocks, like it was supposed to be hidden, but whoever was in charge of that left in a rush and forgot to stack them in place. Flynn just took it as an encouraging sign the tower would be empty.

The staircase was narrow and led to an opening in the floor of a small room that seemed to act as a general living area. However, it was dark and incredibly dusty. Even just one quick skim around the room showed that no one had lived here in a long time. So Flynn saw no problem in camping out here for a tad bit, just until nightfall.

He opened the satchel and pulled out the crown, made out of diamonds and rubies and all sorts of expensive gems. The King and Queen really pulled out all the stops when it came to making this crown.

"Alone at last," Flynn said to his prize.

When night came he made his move, climbing back out the tower and heading toward the harbor with the help of dark. He would stowaway, on a cargo ship heading to Arendelle. News of the robbery wouldn't get there till later this week, and with any luck the trading city would house some people more than eager to take the crown off his hands. For a decent price, of course.


	5. Chapter 5

Flynn reached Arendelle at a particularly bad time for trading. It was a festival of some sort, something about Summer and warmth and hopes of an easy winter. He didn't really care. The problem was that all the major traders, and more importantly the foreign traders, were spending most of the week at the festivities, in the palace courtyard. Of course, even if news of the theft hadn't reached Arendelle yet, he couldn't go try to make a trade like this in the crowds of the city. No one would believe that a guy like Flynn Rider just happened to have a crown, no matter how charismatic he could be. So Flynn found himself in the city, with no plan, until the weeklong festival was over.

The first day of his arrival he wasn't very much in the mood to partake in the celebrations, as he needed a place to stay and very little money on him. He knew it wasn't enough to stay the whole week, but maybe there would be some kind person who was willing to house a charming young man down on his luck.

It was on the docks that Flynn had his first human interaction since he abandoned the Stabbington brothers. He wasn't watching where he was walking, and something bumped into him, very fast. Not a large or heavy something, but it had enough force to almost throw Flynn off balance.

Unfortunately, the person who ran into him was knocked over, completely off her feet.

"Watch where you're going!" she shouted at him from the ground. She was young, with fiery red hair that was braided and pinned up, meticulously so. And she was in a very, very nice dress. It was green and blue, probably the colors of the festival, with golden flowers embroidered in a delicate pattern. The flowers looked to be stitched out of real golden thread. Flynn had no doubt that this girl was high born in some way.

But she was young, Flynn guess no older than 10, so he didn't give her the same speech he would normally give to all the ladies. He didn't think she would appreciate it the same way that her elders would.

"I'm sorry, here, let me help you up," Flynn reached down and lifted her by the armpits, placing her on her feet. She didn't come up above his stomach.

"Well, that's one way of treating a princess," she remarked while brushing off her skirts.

"Princess!" Flynn snapped his fingers with a smile, "I knew you were high born."

"Yes, Princess Anna, of Arendelle," the young princess crossed her arms. Flynn obediently bowed.

"Forgive me, my young Lady. I didn't mean to run you down. My sincerest apologies," Flynn smiled at her, dashingly so. Anna didn't look too impressed, but Flynn shrugged it off. She was just to young to appreciate these things.

"Where are you from?" Anna asked, "Most the towns people and traders here know me."

"I just got here, actually. Came for the wonderful celebrations. It's talked about around the world, I figured I should see it at least once."

"Oh, yeah you should! They're great, my favorite time of year!" Anna jumped a little as she spoke. If Flynn had to describe it, though for reputation's sake he never would, he would call it cute. But it also raised some questions.

"If you love them so much, why are you on the docks?"

He could visibly see Anna deflate. She was silent for a few seconds before puffing her cheeks and saying "Princess stuff. Royal things. Nothing I should tell a commoner." But she refused to look at him while she said it. However, Flynn had his own problems, and Anna had significantly more money than him. He figured she could deal with whatever this was, and it wasn't his responsibility anyway.

"Of course. Well then, my young Lady, I take my leave!" and with another sweeping bow Flynn left for town, not turning back once.

He managed to find a house with one room up for rent. The landlady was a sweet old woman, whose children lived next door and came over to care for her. Because of this she was happy to accept Flynn's little money, as she didn't need much money in the first place and, as she said, "the nights get very cold here, it would be cruel to make you sleep outside." She even served him dinner and promised a breakfast, as he couldn't afford his own food. Her kindness dissuaded him of robbing back his money and some extra on the side. She deserved it.

He was up in his room looking out the window, listening to the festival. He couldn't see it from here, his view was of the fjord and the woods beyond, but the Kingdom of Arendelle knew how to party. It was already dark but they were so loud Flynn thought you could easily hear the kingdom in Carona. And with a comfortable room for small pay, Flynn actually found himself thinking maybe it wouldn't be so bad staying the week here. Maybe he could even enjoy it.

Flynn's eye was caught by a light out on the docks. And he knew the person carrying the lantern: Princess Anna of Arendelle. She was no longer in her fancy gown, but in a simple one that seemed to be brown and green, though Flynn couldn't tell for sure from this distance. However, it was definitely her, her hair seemed to glow in the dark.

"Oh, this can't be good," he commented to himself as he continued to watch her walk to the docks. She stopped at a small rowboat, where someone was waiting for her. A boy, it looked like. And he also looked a fair bit older than her.

"Oh, really not good," and Flynn didn't know what compelled him but he raced down the stairs of the house and out the door. It was a good thing this house was close to the fjord, because he was able to catch Anna's attention before she even stepped in the rowboat.

"Princess Anna!" Flynn cried, waving his arms. Thinking about it, there was probably a better tactic for this, as she looked up she started rushing the older boy to hurry with untying the boat. Luckily, Flynn was an expert runner.

"Hold up," he said, grabbing the side of the rowboat before they could paddle away. He wasn't sure why he was concerned, but he was sure he wasn't concerned enough to take a late night swim to stop anyone.

"Let us go," Anna tried to command, puffing up her chest to look intimidating.

"Go where?" Flynn asked, sitting on the dock but not letting the boat go.

"Doesn't matter, I am your princess and you have to listen to me," Anna looked like she won. The other boy just sighed.

"Sorry there, Ginger, but your no princess of mine. I'm not from here, remember?" Flynn smirked at her as she remembered the man she bumped into on the pier that morning.

"Then why do you care where I go?"

"Well, you are what, like 10? Here with this huge boy? Sounds like a scandal in the royal family. I always loved a good scandal."

"For your information, I'm 12, and Kristoff here is only 16. And it's not a scandal, he's just helping me."

"Kristoff huh? What are you helping her do, Kristoff?"

"She just asked a favor," he said.

"And how do you know each other?" Flynn asked. Part of him was screaming to stop, walk away, and leave this children to do whatever they want. But, and maybe it was the Eugene still in him, he just felt like these two needed some sort of adult guidance. He wasn't the best adult for the job, but he was the only one around.

"He's an ice seller that comes to town. I am a Princess, I know everyone in town. The gates were always open so I could know the kingdom. Now can we leave?" Anna asked. She seemed to be dropping her commanding thing. Maybe that was just a first instinct type of deal, something she was trained to do. She didn't seem like the harsh type.

"No, you still haven't told me where you are going," Flynn responded, but before he could persuade an answer out of them Kristoff grabbed the front of Flynn's vest and pulled him into the boat. He was very strong fro a 16 year old.

"Hey-" Flynn started to protest, but found himself silenced by a huge hand. Anna and Kristoff were lying flat on their stomachs and Kristoff had forced Flynn in the same position. He heard what they were hiding from; footsteps and some voices calling for Princess Anna. But without Flynn on the docks holding the boat, the water was free to carry them away.

It wasn't until they were in the middle of the fjord that Kristoff let Flynn go.

"Why would you do that?!" Flynn asked immediately, stretching his back and very annoyed.

"Well we couldn't have you giving us away," Kristoff replied, taking the paddles and going towards the woods.

"Whoa whoa, shouldn't you be taking us back to the dock?" Flynn said in alarm.

"We were going this way before you interrupted us. We can't go back now that they are looking for us," Kristoff said, not stopping paddling. Anna nodded in agreement.

"You can't be serious. You need to take me back!"

"You are the one who interrupted us, so you'll come with us to the opposite shore. You can take the boat back once we get there," Anna said, sounding like a perfect diplomat. Flynn gritted his teeth. This is what he got for caring.

"Fine." Flynn said, crossing his arms.

"Fine." Anna responded, as if they were in an argument. She was the type that liked to get the last word. But so was Flynn.

"So why are you going to the woods. Secret love affair?"

"No!" both Anna and Kristoff whisper shouted at the same time, though Kristoff seemed more embarrassed about it. Flynn raised his eyebrows at the boy who turned away with a blush.

"I'm going to find my sister," Anna said.

"Another lost princess? We have one of those too, where I come from. Must be a common occurrence," Flynn mused out loud, "maybe it's just required that all kingdoms have a lost princess of some sort."

"Yeah, well, my parents don't want me looking for her. So I had to leave at this time, when they were busy with the festival."

"Oh, you parents don't want you, a small 10 year old princess who never had to take care of herself in the real world, go out and look for your sister? How long has she been lost again?"

"I'm 12 and I can take care of myself just fine!" Anna said, puffing herself up again, "And she's been lost for 12 years now. Mom and Dad think it's not worth looking for her."

"Well, hate to break it to you Ginger, but your mom and dad are probably right."

"Well I don't think so. She's my sister, I would _know _if she were dead," Anna said it with such certainty that Flynn almost believed her. Except, and he prided himself on this, Flynn wasn't an idiot.

"Really? She's been missing for 12 years, and how old are you again?"

"12," Anna replied, still seeming very confident in her argument.

"Uh-huh. And how long have you known about her?"

"Well…I was exploring the castle last week and found a portrait of a baby with white hair, and when I asked my parents about it that's when they told me," Anna smiled, kind of like she was embarrassed about the story.

"Wait a minute, you're telling me that you knew you had a sister for a week? And you can already sense whether she is alive or not?" Flynn asked, incredulous, "And you're okay with this?" he asked Kristoff.

"No! I said that this was a ridiculous idea. But she was going to go with or without my help, so I figured that having someone there was better than not," Kristoff replied, defensive. Flynn nodded in agreement; at least the boy had some sense.

"Ah, both of you are siblingless. You don't understand the sisterly bonds," Anna swatted the air in front of her, like she was defending herself from the non-believers.

Flynn raised a single eyebrow, but figured that Kristoff seemed like a reasonable boy. Anna trusted him. And there was no denying he was strong, it took some considerable muscle to pull Flynn anywhere, even when he was off guard. So he thought they would probably be alright. He would take the boat back and find a place to stash his treasure, which was currently with him. He hadn't set it down since he took it from the brothers.

It was when the boat hit the opposite shore that Flynn even thought to ask, "So where do you plan to start looking anyway?"

Anna and Kristoff looked at each other, and Anna smiled a little funnily. Like she was hiding something, "Well…the North Mountain?"

"Do you mean to tell me," Flynn started, "that you don't know where to even start looking for this lost sister of yours?"

"No! Yes…maybe. We have an idea," Anna said, looking to Kristoff for support. He just shrugged and looked lost. All of a sudden Kristoff seemed a lot less reliable to Flynn. And he realized, in this moment right here, he would have to be a responsible adult.

"Oh no. I can't in good conscious let you two go gallivanting off in the wilderness alone. Kristoff, row us back. I'm returning you home," Flynn crossed his arms and tried to look as adult as possible. The good part about all of this was that he could probably get a reward for returning the Princess of Arendelle.

"No! Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I know she is out there. And I need to find her! She's my sister," Anna stood up and stepped purposefully out of the rowboat. Kristoff looked back at Flynn, as if he wanted to listen to him, but followed Anna anyway.

"Don't go into those woods! You won't survive! There are wolves and stuff out there!" Flynn called after them. But Ginger and Kristoff kept marching on.

The battle that was going inside Flynn at the moment was a battle of personas. Flynn Rider wanted to take the boat back to the city, stash his crown, and deny that he even knew what Ginger looked like if asked. However, Eugene Fitzherbert, who had a nasty habit of showing up when least wanted, could not let two kids with no worldly experience into the woods by themselves.

In the end it was a compromise. Flynn figured he had the crown with him safe, and if he brought the Princess back he could get the extra reward on the side.

"Hey, wait up!" he called rushing after them. When he finally met with them in the pine forest, they had a reindeer too.

"Ah, this is Sven!" Anna introduced him.

"Okay." Flynn already regretted his decision, but now it was too late. He was invested.

"Oh yeah, what's your name?" Kristoff asked.

"You can call me Flynn, and I'll be your responsible adult for the journey. Ginger, when we go back to the palace, I expect payment," he made it very clear.

"I'm sure Mom and Dad will be happy to pay the person who helped recover their first born daughter!" Anna said cheerily.

They didn't walk far before setting up camp, as it was night and Anna and Kristoff both agreed they wanted to move in the day. But they also wanted to be far enough from the shore that if they were to make a fire it would not be seen. They didn't pack tents; Anna and Kristoff snuggled close to Sven and curled in their coats. Flynn curled as close to the fire as possible without being burned. It wasn't a comfortable first night, and Flynn couldn't help but think of it as horrible foreshadowing for their journey to come.


End file.
